Child's play
by Eva aka Pinkfox
Summary: Sometimes little children are afraid.


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Disclaimer: Everything in this story belongs to Paramount, except Sally Johnson and the children.

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Child's play

Eva

"No, I am not going in first. You are the oldest, Majel. You must go first." Ensign Sally Johnson heard a girl's voice say by a small alcove in the corridor. 

"Because I am the oldest doesn't mean I have to go first. " another voice protested back. 

Sally made her way to the alcove where she heard the voices. "What is the problem, children?" she asked while she stroked a lock of blond hair out of her face. 

The heads of the three children in the alcove immediately turned towards the young woman. It were three girls. One was maybe six years old with long, dark, curly hair and dark eyes. The second was maybe eight years old and had bright blue eyes and shoulder-length red hair. The last one had brown hair and green eyes and was maybe eleven years old.

Sally recognized them immediately. The parents of all three the children lived near to her quarters and she had looked after the kids on more than one occasion. She looked at the girl with the red hair closer. "How did you get that bump on your head, Gates?" 

The two older girls looked away from her, but the youngest one piped up. "She was fighting." 

"Fighting? With who, Marina?" 

"With Jonathan." 

Sally scratched her head and shook it. "Come out of that alcove." she said and stepped a few steps back. Marina came directly to her, but the other two stayed where they were. 

"Gates, Majel…" 

"I can't walk." Gates said. "I hurt my ankle. And my head hurts." 

Sally helped her out the alcove and Majel followed directly. "Why didn't you warn any of your parents?" she asked. 

"They had said that we may not fight. Mommy took me to Sickbay when I fel, so Majel wanted to go to, but they didn't want to go inside." Marina said. 

Sally, who was checking Gates' ankle, frowned when she suddenly spotted scratches on Majel's cheek. "And what happened to you, Majel?" 

"When Jonathan pushed Gates, he wanted to kick her. I pushed him away, but he scratched me." Majel explained. 

"I see. And you were afraid to go inside Sickbay? My shift starts, so come along with me? We can ask Doctor Crusher or Doctor Selar to take a look and I will warn your parents. Okay?" Sally said. 

"Not Doctor Selar." Gates said very decisive. 

"Why not?" 

"She always looks mad. Doctor Crusher is funny, she makes jokes." Marina said. 

"Yeah, and she gives candy, he, Marina?" Majel said and gave the little girl a push.

"Stop it, Majel. For now Marina is the only one who isn't injured. Can we keep it that way?" Sally said. The young nurse lifted Gates in her arms and gave Marina a hand. "Come on, we will see if Doctor Crusher has the time." 

***

Beverly saw Sally trooping inside with a little girl by her side and an older girl six feet behind her. In her arm she had a girl who seemed between the other two girls with age. As soon as the door after the oldest girl had closed, the girl stayed where she was, standing by the door. 

Beverly shook her head and went to her youngest nurse. "What is this all about, Sally?" 

"I found them outside. They were afraid to go inside or to warn their parents. So I took them with me. I will warn their parents in a moment." Sally said while she sat Gates down on the nearest biobed. 

Beverly saw the girl wince when one of her ankles hit the edge of the biobed and she turned towards the girls. "Why did you come to sickbay?" 

Gates wanted to answer the question, but Marina was too quick. "Gates felt to a doorpost." the little girl said. 

"And how did you fell, Gates?"

Gates wanted to answer again, but Marina was again too quick. "She was fighting. Jonathan pushed her." 

"And now her head and ankle are hurting." Majel said by the door. 

Sally turned towards her and signaled with her hand to her to come over. Majel hesitated, but came then over to them. 

Gates just nodded and winced again. 

Beverly smiled about Marina and turned to Gates. "Shall I take a look at you?" Gates nodded and Beverly picked up a medical tricorder. 

Sally tapped her combadge. "Johnson to lieutenant Sirtis."

"Sirtis here." a woman's voice sounded through sickbay. 

"I am in sickbay with Marina, Gates and Majel. Marina is fine, but could you come to sickbay?" 

"I am on my way. Shall I fetch one of the parents from Gates and Majel?" 

"That's alright. Gates hurt her ankle and head and Majel has scratches on her cheek." 

"See you in a moment. Sirtis out." 

Beverly put the tricorder down. "You're ankle is just bruised, Gates, and your head is fine. Only a big bump. I shall fix them for you." Taking a dermal regenerator Beverly healed the ankle and bump. 

Marina looked very interested how Beverly fixed Gates' ankle, while Majel stroked some hair away from her face and winced when she hit the scratches on her cheek. 

"Sally, can you please get me 1 mg Asinolythin?" Beverly asked after she was finished with Gates. "Majel, hop on, then I will fix your cheek." 

Sally went of to get the hypospray, while Majel turned red, but hopped on the biobed besides Gates. Beverly ran the dermal regenerator over Majel's cheek when the door opened again and two women and a man came in.

Sally, who had gotten her hypospray went over to them and lead them to the biobed where the girls sat. 

"What happened, Gates? one of the women with short, red hair asked. 

"I fell into a door post. Jonathan pushed me." Gates told her mother and tilted her head a little so that Beverly could reach the large vein in her neck easier. 

"You're both fixed up, girls." Beverly said while she helped Gates of the biobed. Then she turned to the parents. "Gates had a bruised ankle, a big bump on her head and a little headache. Majel only had a few scratches on her cheek."

"Thanks Doctor." the man then turned towards his daughter. "How did you end up with scratches on your cheek, Majel?

"Jonathan. We had a fight." Majel said and shrugged. 

"About what?" the third woman, with long, black hair spoke. 

"He wanted to transport Bear in to space. And he wanted to feed Flap to Mr. Worf." Marina declared with an angry face. 

The adults tried not to smile and lieutenant Sirtis lifted her daughter up. "Honey, Mr. Worf doesn't like stuffed rabbits for diner. And Mr O'Brien would never let Jonathan close enough to a transporter with Bear." 

"Jonathan wanted to get Bear and Flap and I stood before him. Then he pushed me." Gates contributed. 

"Jonathan always does such things." That was Majel. 

"Mommy, are you sure Mr. Worf won't eat Flap? Jonathan always says that he likes to eat rabbits. And that he eat Jonathan's rabbit once." 

"I am sure, Honey." 

"I don't believe you." Marina stated self-assured. 

Beverly had been listening, even if she had been busy at a nearby biobed. Now she walked back to the small group. "Marina, I know Worf very well. And he doesn't like to eat rabbits who are named Flap." 

Marina glared at her. "I don't believe you too. What happened to Jonathan's rabbit then? I don't want Flap to be eaten!!!" The first big tears rolled over the little girls cheeks and she buried her head in her mothers shoulder. "I don't want Flap to be eaten!!!" 

"Beverly…" sounded a voice from behind.

Beverly turned around to see Deanna Troi coming towards them. 

"Beverly, the Captain…" Deanna then noticed the situation before her. Also she recognized the three girls and their parents. Then she looked over to the crying girl. "What's wrong, Marina?" 

"Mr. Worf is gonna eat Flap." the child again stated. 

Deanna looked confused and Majel said: "Jonathan said that he was going to transport Marina's bear into space and that he would give Marina's rabbit to Mr. Worf. And she doesn't believe us that he doesn't like to eat rabbits."

The adults tried to reason with Marina for a few more minutes. Then Majel's father spoke again. "Majel has told me that he says such things more often. I am gonna talk with his parents now. Liddy, would you mind taking Majel back with you?" Marina's mother nodded and the man left the group. 

Sally had been looking at the clock. Suddenly she got an idea. "Counselor, was Mr. Worf on the bridge?" 

"No, Ensign. He had a day off-duty." Deanna answered. 

"Maybe we can ask him to come over here and tell Marina that he doesn't like stuffed rabbits." Sally suggested. 

Beverly thought about it for a moment. A small smile appeared on her face and she hit her com badge. "Crusher to Mr. Worf." 

"Worf here." The deep voice came trough the small device. 

"Could you please come to Sickbay?" Beverly walked to the other end of Sickbay. "We have a little girl here who is sure of the idea you're gonna eat her stuffed rabbit. A boy told her you had eaten his rabbit and that he would give you her rabbit." 

It was silent on the other side for a few moments. "I am on my way, Doctor." 

***

Deanna looked up when Worf entered Sickbay and made her way over to him. "Thanks for coming. Marina is absolutely convinced that you gonna eat her rabbit, Flap." 

"Where did she get this idea?" Worf asked.

"A boy who was bullying her and the other girls. He said that you had eaten his rabbit." Deanna explained while she walked back to the bed. "Marina, Mr. Worf is here. Now you can ask him if he wants to eat Flap." 

Marina looked up from here mother's shoulder. "Do you like to eat rabbits, Mr Worf?" 

"No Marina. I don't like to eat stuffed rabbits. You can be sure of that. And certainly not a rabbit named Flap." Worf said, but he felt a little ridiculous. 

"Really. But what happened to Jonathan's rabbit? He said you had eaten it." 

"I don't know, Marina. But I am sure that I haven't eaten a stuffed rabbit the last ten years. They are much too soft." 

"What do you like to eat? Lolly pops?" Marina asked curious, now that she knew that her stuffed rabbit wasn't in any danger of being eaten.

"Sometimes." 

"We have to go now, girls. I think Doctor Crusher and Counselor Troi have other things to do." Gates' mother said. 

Liddy Sirtis nodded and Gates turned to Doctor Crusher. "Thank you, Doctor." 

Beverly smiled. "Not a problem, Gates. But be a little bit more careful next time." 

Gates nodded and headed to the exit with her mother, while Majel also thanked Doctor Crusher and followed her friend. 

Liddy turned to Worf. "Thanks lieutenant. You've spared us a lot of trouble." She followed the others and the five people exited Sickbay. 

Beverly turned towards Deanna and Worf. "Thanks Worf. Deanna, what was it that the Captain wanted?" 

"He asks if you have the medical reports ready for Kiara 4…" Deanna told while she followed Beverly to her office. 

Sally looked how Worf left Sickbay and then went to assist Doctor Selar with a patient. 


End file.
